We already knew two of the three inactive players to start the season. The 10-game suspension of Delonte West and the fact that Kendrick Perkins is just beginning his rehab makes it easy to predict the likely rotations to start the season. The first unit was solidified around July 9 with the signing of Jermaine O’Neal. The unavailability of West along with the fact that Avery Bradley apparently will not be ready at the start of camp suggests the only “iffy” slot on the second unit will likely fall to Von Wafer as backup shooting guard. That leaves a 2-deep chart of
PG__Rajon Rondo____Nate Robinson
SG__Ray Allen______Von Wafer
SF__Paul Pierce______Marquis Daniels
PF__Kevin Garnett____Glen Davis
C___Jermaine O’Neal__Shaquille O’Neal
After that it is a question of which two of the three rookies are active on any given night.

My bet is that if Bradley is ready to rumble there will be one of the big men in street clothes. Which, may be determined by match-up’s. My reasoning is this, Avery can backup either the one or the two, Erden only the five (at least initially), and Harangody the four. Could Luke also perhaps spell the small forward? It may be just as likely that should Daniels or Pierce be unavailable, Doc will play Allen or Wafer at the three. Again it might depend upon the size and game of the opposition’s backup small forward.

Which brings me around again to my lament that it looks unlikely (unless Wafer or Delonte goes off the deep end, or Von opts out of playing defense) that Tony Gaffney makes the cut. I really hate this as he would probably be our most flexible defender, able to cover any of three positions. He might even be our best option to check the star big shooting guard, power three, or perimeter four. It would be valuable asset to have a player that you can point to the opposing star, assuming they are not a PG or C, and say sic’em.

This situation almost certainly will not be resolved with a trade since almost nobody on the team outside the rookies will be tradable until December 15. Wonder if there is any chance that Gaffney would be available then?